The more energy captured, the more energy needed to be provided by the dancers. Yes, they could make it a very stiff floor, but they would capture very little energy. So, it becomes a matter of how much extra energy dancers are willing to provide. It will be hard to balance the two to get maximum return on investment.

jhankwitz, I made a similar comment on a different blog just a while back. Whar we don't know is how much the floor actually deflects, which would be the major way that dancers would observe the energy being captured. If the deflectio is very small, say less than 0.025 inches, or so, probably it would just be taken as a slightly cusioned floor. But if the flex were a lot more, say 0.125 inches, then it would certainly be quite obvious and it would feel like a drag. So what we need is more information. And while it may work very well in dry weather, it is not so clear how the sidewalk would survive in our slushy salty southeastern Michigan winters. Of course, any energy capyture mechanism does need to last a while, so durability really matters.

I agree on wanting to see these examples of new technology in action, Nadine. If these technologies meet their PR promises, they could make some very positive changes. I expect that many of the new technologies we're seeing on the Design News site will find positive real-world applications.

Maybe Pheonix Contact is trying to make a point. The use of "Green" for many things that obviously aren't. And some of the hated non-green things have a much smaller footprint over their lifespan than do the "green" things. Green has become a sales buzzword and really means nothing. It is used to push many impractical "technologies" rather than to make a real difference.

How many of our supposed "Green" projects are really just an excuse to collect a subsidy, and really have very little "green" benefit? Is it really "green" or is it just a way on getting the public to give mw money so I can play with the latest fad???

Dancers would avoid an energy dance floor because it would drain too much of their energy. Basic Physics states that you can't get something for nothing. Dancing on this floor would be like jogging on a sandy beach instead of hard pavement.

Rich, the idea of green car is diluted by green color. Whether it can save energy and minimizes the environmental pollutions? The piezo electric effect (converting mechanical energy to electric) is so common and now a day's such appliances are deployed in public places.

It won't be too much longer and hardware design, as we used to know it, will be remembered alongside the slide rule and the Karnaugh map. You will need to move beyond those familiar bits and bytes into the new world of software centric design.

People who want to take advantage of solar energy in their homes no longer need to install a bolt-on solar-panel system atop their houses -- they can integrate solar-energy-harvesting shingles directing into an existing or new roof instead.

Kaspersky Labs indicated at its February meeting that cyber attacks are far more sophisticated than previous thought. It turns out even air-gapping (disconnecting computers from the Internet to protect against cyber intrusion) isn’t a foolproof way to avoid getting hacked. And Kaspersky implied the NSA is the smartest attacker.

Focus on Fundamentals consists of 45-minute on-line classes that cover a host of technologies. You learn without leaving the comfort of your desk. All classes are taught by subject-matter experts and all are archived. So if you can't attend live, attend at your convenience.